Fruit from biodynamic farming on the rise
What makes Demeter bananas so special?
Demeter bananas are different from all other bananas on the market, because they stand for more than “organic” can offer. They are grown according to the highest organic standards. They are not optimised to maximise profits and are consistently grown without artificial pesticides and pollutants. Furthermore, they are the product of the values of Demeter producers who think and act with love, strength, joy and freedom. Demeter practises a holistic organic agriculture.
“Mission Bananana”
The additional “na” in our “mission bananana” stands for this holistic approach. For Demeter, banana production represents a mission. A mission on behalf of our planet for more sustainability, climate protection and biodiversity. It is a commitment to humanity and partnership. It is a responsibility for health and respect for all life on earth.
This fall 2021 is dedicated to Demeter bananas in particular: we talk about how they are different from organic and conventional fruit, and how our farmers care about soil fertility, biodiversity and sustainability.
The greatest value that I highlight in banana cultivation is its perenniality. The ability of the banana plant to grow, to bear fruit, to produce offspring, to grow again, to bear fruit again, to reproduce again, because it gives us so much. What more can you want from a crop? It’s called planet earth.
Victoria Bernier, Dominique Farms, Santa Marta, Colombia
Biodiversity at Demeter farms
Fostering biodiversity in and above the soil is key for biodynamic farmers. You will find a whole universe of plants, microorganisms, insects, birds and other beings on banana farms. Have a look at the pictures, and compare to a photo from conventional farming, where nothing but the banana plants are growing. Everything else has been removed by herbicides (3rd photo).
The more farmers allow other plants to grow underneath the bananas the more diversity you find in the soil as well as in the air and among the plants.
